Latest news with #RajasthanRoyals'
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'We play 8 PM, he wakes up at 5. Sleepy during meeting, then wins us the game': Samson narrates RR star's bizarre story
Rajasthan Royals endured a difficult 2025 season under a new team management, with Rahul Dravid joining as head coach to work with Sanju Samson. The side finished ninth in the table with just four wins in 14 matches, and roughly two months after the season, rumors began about Sanju Samson potentially leaving the franchise. Rajasthan Royals' captain Sanju Samson watches the ball after playing a shot during the Indian Premier League(AFP) Despite leading the team to the IPL 2022 final and establishing himself as a key figure in the squad, Samson's future with the Royals remains in doubt. Amid the growing speculations over his place in the team, Sanju Samson sat with former RR teammate and India great Ravichandran Ashwin, speaking in detail about his time so far with the Royals, and how captaincy has changed his outlook towards the game. 'Captaincy has opened up my perspective and helped me to accept these kind of ways. There is no one way of succeeding in cricket. I don't believe that there is only one way. When people are trying different things, I like to back them instead of questioning them,' Samson stated during an appearance on Ravichandran Ashwin's show, Kutti Stories with Ash. This mindset is perfectly embodied in his teammate Shimron Hetmyer's unusual matchday routine, which Samson described with both amusement and admiration. Hetmyer, known for his power-hitting prowess and sometimes erratic international career, follows a laid-back pre-game schedule that would raise eyebrows in any professional setup. 'But this guy, the match is at 8 PM, he will wake up at 5 PM, and be all sleepy during team meetings and all. Then he will score the most important runs for the team and win them the game. So, there is a way to do like that also,' Samson revealed. Samson on change after captaincy Sanju also reminisced about his own disciplined routines before captaincy, emphasizing how his focus used to be narrower, centered mainly on his individual performance. 'Before I was a captain, I was a player; at that time, it was only about my ways. I'm like I need to do these things, these kinds of practices. I need to score runs at these kind of patterns, and that is how success is made.' But the captaincy role expanded his understanding, teaching him to embrace and trust the different personalities and methods within the team.
India Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Sanju Samson shares Gautam Gambhir's 21 Ducks backing that boosted his confidence
Sanju Samson's comeback to T20I cricket after India's 2024 World Cup triumph didn't begin the way he'd hoped. But a quirky show of faith from head coach Gautam Gambhir gave him the reassurance to play with freedom and eventually rediscover his a chat on Ravichandran Ashwin's podcast, Samson opened up about the rocky start to his return. Facing Sri Lanka in early 2024, he was dismissed for zero in both matches. The back-to-back failures brought back memories of earlier years when he often found himself dropped after just a few games. That's when Gambhir stepped was feeling low in the dressing room and Gauti bhai noticed,' Samson recalled. 'He asked me, 'Kya hua? (What happened?)' I told him I had two chances but couldn't score. He just said, 'Toh kya hua? (So what?)' and then added, 'Only if you get 21 ducks will I drop you from the team.'' Samson said those words hit differently. 'When a coach and captain speak like that, your confidence automatically lifts. You know they really trust you and want you to succeed,' he making his T20I debut, Samson has appeared in 42 matches, scoring 861 runs at a strike rate of over 152, with three hundreds and two fifties. His first T20I ton came against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, followed by two more against South wasn't the only one to back him. Samson revealed that Suryakumar Yadav, during the Duleep Trophy, promised him a stretch of seven matches as opener. That run came during series against South Africa and England, where Samson repaid the faith with two centuries in quick the IPL, however, Samson's future is less certain. Following Rajasthan Royals' ninth-place finish in 2025, reports suggest he's asked to be traded or released, with tensions reportedly brewing between him and the franchise's the Asia Cup 2025 on the horizon, Samson will be hoping Gambhir's '21 ducks' assurance continues to shield him from the axe — and that his purple patch with the bat remains intact.- Ends
India Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Sanju Samson to leave RR due to Vaibhav Suryavanshi's rise? Ex-opener explains
Former India cricketer turned commentator Aakash Chopra believes that the rapid rise of Rajasthan Royals' (RR) young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi must've played a key role in Sanju Samson's reported desire to leave the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Chopra suggested Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) could be the most eager side to sign Samson if the Rajasthan captain decides to have suggested that Samson has asked RR to release him, sparking speculation about his next move. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra, questioned why Samson would want to leave Rajasthan in the first place, especially given his key role in their set-up in previous seasons.'Why would Sanju Samson want to leave? It's interesting because when the last mega auction happened, they let Jos Buttler go, and I felt they let Jos Buttler go because Yashasvi had come and Sanju wanted to open, and Sanju and Rajasthan Royals were really, really thick,' he said. The emergence of young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, however, might have shifted the team dynamics, reckons Chopra.'I felt there would have been a massive input from Sanju in the players they retained or released. However, now it seems it might not have been there. Vaibhav Suryavanshi has come, so two openers are already ready, and you also want to bat Dhruv Jurel up the order. So Sanju wishes to leave. If he is thinking like that, it's possible. These are conjectures. I don't know what's in his and Rajasthan's minds,' Chopra scored 285 runs at a strike rate of 140.39 in nine innings during IPL 2025. Meanwhile, Suryavanshi's explosive start to his IPL career – 252 runs in just seven innings at a staggering strike rate of 206.55, including the fastest IPL century by an Indian has made him a headline name and possibly altered RR's batting should be most desperate to sign Samson: ChopraThe former opener further suggested that KKR's current set-up makes them prime contenders for Samson's inclusion.'The first name that comes to my mind is not CSK. KKR should be the most desperate team. KKR don't have an Indian wicketkeeper-batter, and that just ties their hands behind their back. Secondly, what's wrong if you get a captain? I am not denying that Ajinkya Rahane has captained well and has scored runs as well,' Chopra explained that Rahane's batting position has posed challenges, and KKR could consider releasing all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, one of their high-value players.'However, Ajinkya Rahane as a batter, either he opens or else the batting order has been a bit of a problem. They have a player they can release as well. If they wish, they can release Venkatesh Iyer, free up nearly 24 crore, and then they can actually make a difference,' he IPL season 2025, KKR lacked an Indian wicketkeeper-batter, relying instead on overseas options Quinton de Kock and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Chopra feels that Samson, being both a quality Indian wicketkeeper and a strong leadership option, would fit 'perfectly' into their plans.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Rajasthan Royals congratulate 'captain Dhruv Jurel' amid Sanju Samson's reported request to exit the franchise
Dhruv Jurel's rapid rise in Indian cricket hit another milestone on Thursday as he was named captain of Central Zone for the season-opening Duleep Trophy, beginning August 28 in Bengaluru. The 23-year-old keeper-batter, who turned heads with his temperament and glove work during India's 2-2 draw in the Test series against England, will now lead the regional side packed with domestic heavyweights and national contenders. Rajasthan Royals' Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel during IPL 2024(ANI) Jurel's selection as captain is a mark of the trust he has earned from selectors over the last year. Drafted in as a replacement during the England tour after Rishabh Pant's injury, Jurel kept wickets in the third and fourth Tests before being picked in the XI for the decider at The Oval, a match India won by six runs. His calm presence behind the stumps played a key role in India's triumph. On Thursday morning, Rajasthan Royals celebrated their young star's leadership call-up with a tweet that read: "Ek hoga jo stumps ke peeche se game badal dega (There will be someone who can change the game behind the stumps). A perfectly normal gesture, yet one that quietly caught attention, coming less than 12 hours after an ESPNCricinfo report emerged claiming their current IPL captain, Sanju Samson – also a wicketkeeper – had asked to be released ahead of the 2026 auction. The Royals have not commented on the report, and the post makes no mention of the Samson situation. Still, the optics are interesting, even if unintentional. A heavyweight Central Zone side Meanwhile, Jurel will lead a Central Zone team loaded with talent. Kuldeep Yadav, who warmed the bench throughout the five-Test series in England, is also part of the squad and will form a spin trio alongside Vidarbha's Harsh Dubey and Rajasthan's Manav Suthar. Dubey is coming off a record-breaking Ranji season with 69 wickets, the most in a single edition of the tournament. Khaleel Ahmed, fresh from a curtailed county stint with Essex, and Deepak Chahar, who has recovered from his IPL injury, will handle the pace duties. In the batting department, Vidarbha's Yash Rathod, the top scorer in the previous Ranji season with 960 runs, headlines the lineup. His teammate Danish Malewar, who played a match-winning role in the Ranji final, has also been rewarded. The side will be coached by Usman Ghani, who oversaw Vidarbha's successful campaign last season.
Qatar Tribune
4 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Samson seeks exit from Rajasthan Royals before IPL 2026 auction; Franchise yet to decide
Rajasthan Royals' (RR) captain Sanju Samson has informed the franchise that he wants to be released ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction. Samson conveyed his decision to the RR management soon after the conclusion of IPL 2025, ESPNcricinfo reported. While the Royals held their season review meetings in June, they haven't yet responded to Samson's request. There's still a possibility that the franchise might try to persuade him to stay. Lead owner Manoj Badale declined to comment on the matter. However, the final call will be taken jointly by Badale and head coach Rahul Dravid. If RR agree to release Samson, they could either trade him to another franchise or let him go into the auction pool. According to IPL contract, the franchise has the final say in such situations. A potential trade could be in the form of a player swap or an all cash deal. The 30-year-old first represented RR from 2013 to 2015, and returned in 2018 after a couple of seasons with Delhi Daredevils. He took over as captain in 2021, and in 2022 led the team to the IPL final, their first since the inaugural title win in 2008. Samson was among six players retained by the Royals with a tag of Rs 18 crore. RR have around two months to take a final decision on Samson, as the retention deadline is in November. (ANI)
